All flights are operated by U.S. 14 CFR Part 135 air carriers ("operators"), the names of which are disclosed to our customers prior to booking travel. Operators providing service for Air Taxi Service and Support LLC d/b/a Linear Air (ATSS) bookings must meet standards set forth by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and by ATSS. ATSS does not manage or operate aircraft on behalf of our customers, and is not itself an operator, and is a subsidiary of AirDialog LLC, a Direct Air Carrier operating under FAA certificate number L41A034L. Video footage used with permission from Cirrus Aircraft.
Some other examples of prices come from Avinode, which powers a charter marketplace for brokers and operators and gathers a large amount of data on pricing. Their recent data shows the average price per hour for return trips, for various aircraft. As noted above, these rates can vary depending on when you fly, where you fly and if your flight is one way or return, plus landing fees, ramp fees and any repositioning can all add to the costs. Always ask for a fully inclusive quote from your broker or operator.
The key words here are prop planes, turboplanes, and light jets. Prop planes like the Cessna Caravan are popular because they're roomy (the seats are like business class, and often configured face to face). More popular these days are planes like the six- to eight-seater Pilatus PC-12, and KingAirs, which fly faster and feel more like jets. And then you get into light jets like Learjets, Embraer Phenom 300s, and Citation CJ3s, and Hawkers, all of which are sleeker and more streamlined, and can fly for four to five hours, for slightly longer trips.
The most economical option is chartering, which doesn't require any cash upfront (other than a deposit) through companies like Tradewind, Sentient, and Solairus, (which we took home from North Carolina). Of course, there are the old standbys like NetJets and Marquis, who sell fractional ownership (like 1/16th) of a single jet for upwards of $100K. One step down from that, pricewise, is the jet card, where you buy a set amount of hours from a company like Nicholas or Private Jet Services, and can use those hours for different planes. Then there are membership models like WheelsUp, where you pay $17,500 as an initiation fee to fly in their fleet, and then a $8,500 annual dues fee starting the second year. It's like a country club—only you're guaranteed access to a KingAir350i or Citation Excel / XLS instead of a golf course.
Fliers with flexibility should sign up for empty-leg email lists of companies like Magellan Jets, who regularly send out emails selling discounted flights from, say, the plane of a corporate exec who flew to Los Angeles but is looking to offset his cost of getting the plane back to New York. “I wouldn’t say that the cost of flying private has gone down, but there are new ways of pricing charter that makes it more accessible,” says David Zipkin, co-founder and VP of Tradewind, the service known for semi-private flights in the Northeast and Caribbean. “In our case, we save people money with our shared charters, and we also sell discounted empty legs.”
Recently booked a jet for 11 people from my organization to continue operations during hurricane Irma. As business owners know, operations do not cease during a disaster and customers must continue to be served. Stratos Jet Charters booked the aircraft we needed within an hour of reaching out. Our team was able to continue business operations in NYC seamlessly. Much appreciation to Joel and his team for fast action!
Each traveler has the opportunity to select the plane that will be most comfortable for the chosen group. Hire a helicopter for the perfect two-person sightseeing trip over upstate New York; take a group of your closest friends to island hop off the coast of mainland Florida on a turboprop plane, great for short trips. For cross-country travelers—like an East Coast group of friends planning a bachelor party or bachelorette weekend in Las Vegas—a chartered super mid-size jet that flies nonstop could do the trick. Even jumbo jets like 747’s can be chartered for a larger group—think 50 to 500 people—so that everyone can fly together without having to worry about booking tickets on a commercial airline. The best part? No luggage fees.
Using a private jet rental to get to a holiday destination ensures the additional benefit of access to private terminals for faster security check-ins, ensuring that more time is spent enjoying the getaway instead of waiting in line. With its ability to access more locations around the world and enhanced potential for personalisation, chartering privately is the perfect way to travel for pleasure.